


An issue with cat hairs

by NoonoosKitchen



Series: Shukitashu canapés [5]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-26
Updated: 2020-02-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:02:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22907455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoonoosKitchen/pseuds/NoonoosKitchen
Summary: Rumours around Kosei say Yusuke Kitagawa doesn’t take very good care of his school uniform.
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Kitagawa Yusuke, Kitagawa Yusuke/Kurusu Akira, Kitagawa Yusuke/Persona 5 Protagonist
Series: Shukitashu canapés [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1615258
Comments: 8
Kudos: 126





	An issue with cat hairs

Yusuke Kitagawa has been her classmate since the first year of high school. It’s common knowledge through all Kosei that he’s kind of a weird one, so she’s never tried to talk with him beyond the necessary. She must admit that his speech pattern and sudden ‘artistic’ outburst are a bit out of place, but all and all, he doesn’t look like a bad person.

This year, she’s been assigned the seat right behind him. When classes get a bit too boring, she entertains herself looking at his table and watching him idly sketching in the corner of the notebooks.

Today, though, she’s more distracted staring at his back rather than his working hands. The pristine, white fabric of Kitagawa’s non-regular school uniform is completely covered with black hairs. Her best friend owns a cute little calico cat, so she’s pretty sure they’re cat hairs. His uniform has been in this condition for some time now, and rumours have even begun to spread; that Kitagawa is secretly keeping a cat on his dorm room, or that he likes going to pet strays. 

She’s pretty sure that washing the clothes would get rid of all these hairs, so she wonders why he hasn’t bothered to do so. Thankfully, no one in the class seems to be allergic to them, so the rumours will probably only stay as rumours and Kitagawa will be as oblivious to them as he’s always been.

***

It’s mid afternoon, and she’s coming back to the dorm after eating lunch with her friend. Heading up to her room on the third floor, she passes by the lift and heads to the stairs. Even though she hates exercising, she’s taken the habit to use the stairs whenever she can to try and get her body a bit more in shape.

When she reaches the second floor, she hears a bustle of noises from down the corridor. Curious, she peeks her head out the railing as sees a cluster of teachers and janitors gathered in front of an open room. Kitagawa is there with them.

“As I have already explained, there is no such cat in here. It is merely an uniformed rumour.” Kitagawa’s voice sounds a bit annoyed as he looks at the group of adults taking out of the room different type of painting supplies, probably for the need of thoroughly checking out the room.

“Even if it’s just a rumour, we need to make sure. You know that keeping pets is prohibited.” One of them tells him.

“Yes, I am perfectly aware of that. That is why you will find none in my room. The owner of said cat is just a friend of mine.”

“And how much time are you spending with that friend to have all your clothes full of cat hairs? We’re already allowing you to wear an non-regular uniform, at least make sure to bring it clean and in good conditions.” Another one says in a stern voice as he faces the teenager, arms crossed across the chest.

“There’s nothing here.” A voice shouts from within the room.

“Good… We’re sorry to have bothered you. But please, clean all the paint stains on the floor at once, or you’ll have to pay a maintenance fine.”

“Yes, I understand.” Kitagawa nods his head a bit and gets out of the way, though he’s still frowning with annoyance.

“Well then…”

The group begins to head to the lift, so she quickly runs away and climbs the rest of the stairs up. She walks up to her room and enters, taking off her shoes and starting to remover her heavy coat. 

Well, that solves the mystery. But it’s still hard to imagine Kitagawa being so close to someone that he would spend time at their home. Does this friend go to Kosei? Surely it’s not someone from their class.

Whoever it is, it’s good that he managed to make a friend. He did look lonely at times, so she’s glad he now has someone to talk to.

***

Sales season is on, so as every year, she’s visited all her favourite clothing stores to try and find good bargains to update her wardrobe. Satisfied with her findings and feeling her wallet a bit too light, she decides to take the short stroll to Shibuya station and take the train back to the dorms. 

Past the underground shopping mall, she sees a familiar tall figure walking away from the healthy smoothie stall. Kitagawa is holding a purplish drink in one hand as he dramatically gestures with the other at a boy walking next to him.

Compared to her classmate, the other boy is shorter, though his body is a bit more built. He has a mob of messy black hair that seems to be left untamed on purpose, and wears a pair of black-rimmed glasses a bit too large for his roundish face. He’s dressed quite stylish, and carrying a heavy looking shoulder bag.

Out of nowhere, the torso of a cat emerges from said bag, and the animal perches itself on the shoulder of the shorter boy to sniff his smoothie cap.

Surprised, she takes a step back, looking at the scene a bit weirded out. Of course Kitagawa would go with someone who carries a cat around.

Wait.

A cat…?

With her heart picking up speed, she looks closer and indeed confirms that the cat is black with a few white spots. That’s the cat, it has to be! 

Focusing her eyes again, she takes a better look at the boy. She’s never seen him around the school, so it’s impossible that he’s from Kosei. Just how did the reserved Kitagawa managed to make friends with someone from another school?

As she’s carefully examining the burnet’s features, she takes notice of the tender smile and the soft eyes with which he’s looking at Kitagawa. Moving her eyes to his classmate, she sees that he’s wearing the same expression, both boys looking at each other as if they were lovesick fools.

The gears on her head start to turn.

_“...The owner of said cat is just a friend of mine.”_

_“And how much time are you spending with that friend to have all your clothes full of cat hairs?”_

She’s forced to come back to reality when she sees the boy with glasses reach his hand out the pocket of his pants and brush a stray strand of hair out of Kitagawa’s forehead, tucking it behind his ear with care. Kitagawa looks back at him with half lidded eyes, a bashful smile on his thin lips as he lets the other boy’s fingertips gently caress his jawline when he pulls his hand away.

The last piece of the puzzle falls in place, and she looks down at the floor and dashes to the train gates, her cheeks heating up out of pure embarrassment. She feels like she just witnessed an intimate and private exchange that she shouldn’t have.

Even if the mystery of the cat hairs is solved, she feels like she won’t be able to stop staring at Kitagawa’s unkempt uniform. Now, for a set of very different reasons.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading <3
> 
> [ twitter ](https://twitter.com/nature_check)


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